The Village of Niles, Illinois began demolishing the Leaning Tower YMCA building Monday.
The Y building is composed of a nine-story, 197-unit hotel and single-room-occupancy residential tower, and an adjoining recreation center that housed a gymnasium, two swimming pools, racquetball courts, weight and workout rooms, and other facilities. The recreation facility closed in 2020 , and the residential tower the following year.
On Monday morning, demolition began with the front vestibule of the YMCA, at 6300 W. Touhy Ave. Niles Mayor George Alpogianis himself operated the excavator to start the process.
The village purchased the six-and-a-half-acre YMCA property in for $2.1 million in March 2024, and plans to transform it into a mixed-use development with dining, retail, and entertainment. The village’s plan includes creating a pedestrian-friendly plaza…